Bistro 110 (110 E. Pearson St., 312-266-3110), a Gold Coast fixture since 1987, will bid adieu to Chicago on Aug. 4. The venerable bistro is making room for a new concept, led by chef Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia, Terzo Piano).

The as-yet-unnamed restaurant, aiming for a September debut, will feature small-portioned, lighter dishes suitable for a quick bite with a nice glass of wine. Which sounds as though Mantuano will be cooking right out of "Wine Bar Food," the book he co-wrote with his wife, Cathy.

"Yeah, pretty much," says Mantuano. "It'll be small plates, salads, a mozzarella bar, a woodburning oven for pizzas. No pastas. I want it to be a neighborhood place, an Italian bar for all meal periods. Where people can drop in for a morning espresso like they do in Italy, or grab a cup or cone of housemade gelati and keep walking to the beach.

"Everybody thinks of thinks of this neighborhood as a tourist area, but a lot of residents would love to have a place like this," Mantuano says. "It's for everyone who loves Italy."

Fine. But did Bistro 110 have to go away?

"I think it's a similar scenario to Brasserie Jo morphing into Paris Club," Mantuano says. "It was a great concept, but it was time for a change."